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l o. WEUSTB, APPARATUS POR CLOSING OR OPENING GAS PIPES OR CONNECTIONS.155,555,795. Patented 155551896'.

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CHRISTIAN IVEUSTE, OF MLIAIEIM-ON-THE-RUIIR, GERMANY.

APPARATUS FOR CLOSING OR OPENING GAS PIPES OR CONNECTIONS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of' Letters Patent No. 555,795, dated March3, 1896. Application filed August 18, 1894:. Serial No. 520,945. (Nomodel.)

To all 'whom it 'may concern:

Be it known that I, CHRISTIAN IVEUSTE, a subject of the King of Prussia,Emperor of Germany, residing at Mlheim-on-the-Ruhr, in the Kingdom ofPrussia, Germany, have invented new and useful Improvements in orRelating to Apparatus for Closing or Opening Gas Pipes or Connections,of' which the following' is a specification.

This invention relates to apparatus for closing and opening gasconnections of all kinds by the transmission of liquid from two vesselscommunicating with one another into an inclosure in connection with thegas-pipes, which object is attained through an increase or decrease inthe pressure in the pipes.

Figure 1 is a vertical section of a device embodying the invention. Fig.2 is a vertical section showing a modification. Fig. 3 is a section ofanother modification, and Fig. a is a vertical section of still anothermodification.

The following description relates to various modifications in theapplication and use of this invention, which are described by way ofexample as being preferable for gas-lighting installations.

Fig. l of the accompanying drawings shows one device constructedaccording to this invention and so arranged that when the gaspressurc isinterrupted or lowered, so as to extinguish the flames at the burner orgasstove, the pipe is also closed at once in consequence of the changeof pressure by a liquid flowing into a reservoir c, whereby the supplyof gas is entirely cut off, and thus on the renewal or restoration ofthe pressure all danger of an escape of gas is avoided. If thisprotection is to be extended to the entire house service, then theapparatus must be introduced into the pipe in front of the maingas-cock. Further, the apparatus can be used for special protection atany subordinate point in front of any single burner of group, gas-stove,dsc.

For example, assume that in a house the main gas-cock is turned oft andat the same time the closing of the taps of a gas-stove, burner, orburners is omitted. If such an apparatus as that above described hasbeen specially provided at this particular point, no danger can ensue,because the pipes will be at once automatically sealed by the protectingapparatus, and thus when the gas is turned on again at the meter or mainand the gas flows in all outlets of escape are guarded.

The object of the particular modification of the apparatus illustratedin Fig. 2 of the accompanying drawings is to open and closesimultaneously all street lamps or houselighting services and the likewhich derive their supply from a branch from a central point in thegeneral network. If the streetlamps are to be extinguished, then, for amoment or so, the pressure of gas at the central station is increasedand then lowered to its normal amount. Thereupon the liquid flows into apipe 7L and cuts off the gas supply. By a renewed pressure more fluidfiows into the pipe 7L and attains such aheight thatit reaches the topof the siphon which is connected therewith, whereby it is drawn off andtheV pipe connection is again opened. The legs of the siphon are soproportioned that a certain quantity of fluid remains in the pipe toprevent an escape of The working of the apparatus is as follows: In theapparatus represented in Fig. l the gas flows in through a pipe a andpasses through a funnel l) and through a sump or inverted siphon c tothe outlet e and thence further to the point of consumption. The fluidis not always present in the sump c, wherefore a free passage is leftopen for thefiow of gas. If the receiver f be filled with fluid, thesaid fluid will stand at a lower level in the bell d, with which thereceiver f is in communication, according to the pressure of gas, andthis level is so arranged that with the lowest permissible workingpressure it is coincident with the top of the funnel Z1. Then if thegas-pressure, from any cause or for any reason, be lowered so as toextinguish the flame at a burner or gas-stove which is protected by theapparatus the fluid in the reservoir f, seeking to rise to its own levelas the counteractin g-pressure is removed, overflows into the sump c andcloses the passage against the supply of gas. On the restoration orrenewal of the initial pressure of gas at the inlet the fluid which hasoveriiowed into the sump c effectually stops the pipe. In this mannerall danger of an escape of gas is prevented. If, now, the communicationis to be reopened, the fluid in the sump is drawn oft through an IOOopening g provided for the purpose at the bottom. The replenishment ofthe fluid in the reservoir f, Figs. l to 4, can be effected either byhand or by an automatic arrangement.

In the before-described 1nodication(shown in Fig. 2) the gas enters byapipe a and finds its way, as in Fig. 1, to the outlet-pipe e. Then it isdesired to close the communication, the pressure at the central stationis increased for a moment or so, whereby the surface-level of the iluidin the reservoir fis raised, so that a portion thereof overiiows into apipe h and thence into the sump or siphontrap c, cutting off the gassupply. When the communication is to be restored, the pressure at thecentral station is again raised to such a degree that the fluid-level inthe sump is raised to above the level of the top of a discharging-Siphont' attached to the sump, which is thereby set in operation, and thefluid is thus discharged from the sump c and through passage restored tothe gas supply. I

The gas-lamps Within the circuit protected by the apparatus, which wouldbe provided with rekindling-jets, would be lighted up as soon as the gassupply was renewed. The legs of the siphon fi are so proportioned as toleave suflicient fluid in the bottom of the sump to keep the siphonsealed, in order that there may be no possibility of an escape of gasthrough the siphon.

Figs. 3 and 4 show the apparatus in operation, as in Fig. l. Thedifferent parts are only somewhat modied without departing from thespirit of the invention-that is, in Fig. 3 the sump cis located directlyin the bottom of the bell d, and the exit-pipe e extends from near thebottom of the sump and out through the top of the bell CZ, and the sameconstruction is shown in Fig. 4, excepting that the eXitpipe extendslaterally at its upper portion and out through the side of the bell d.

l. A device for controlling a gas-supply, comprising a bell having agas-inlet at its upper portion, a liquid-vessel surrounding the bell andhaving communication therewith at its lower portion, a seal adapted toreceive liquid from said vessel, and a gas-exit pipe leading from theseal, substantially as specified.

2. A gas-supply regulator comprising a gasreceiving bell, a vesselsurrounding the gasbell and adapted to contain a liquid into which dipsthe said bell, a sump substantially in the form of an inverted siphonproviding a passage for gas and adapted to receive liquid from theliquid-containing vessel by overflow caused by a change oi'gas-pressure, and a siphon for automatically discharging liquid from thesump to the outer side thereof, substantially as speciiied.

3. A device for controlling a gas-supply, comprising a bell having agas-inlet, a vessel rigidly connected to the bell and having a liquidseal into which dips the said bell, another seal adapted to receiveliquid from the seal of the said vessel, said second seal co1nmunicatingwith the bell to receive the gas therefrom, and a gas-outlet leadingfrom said second seal, substantially as described.

In test-imony whereof I have signed my name to this speciiication in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHRISTIAN WEUSTE. Witnesses:

ALBERT KLINGHAMMER, JosEE VERSE.

